These baked basil chicken meatballs are a perfect accompaniment to pasta, salads, or served with a simple mushroom risotto.
Easy baked basil chicken meatballs are perfect for a throw-together meal.
Whether you serve them with pasta or risotto, these baked chicken meatballs are a perfect option for a quick and easy dinner.
While I love the crispy golden edges of pan-fried meatballs, there’s something so satisfying about just rolling up the meatballs, tossing them on a baking sheet, and chucking them in the oven while you finish up everything else you need to do for dinner. These baked basil chicken meatballs are so aromatic and flavorful, and they go perfectly with pasta, risotto, salad, or grilled veggies. We served them with my Parmesan-leek tomato pasta for a delicious midweek meal.
You don’t need many ingredients, and you can easily swap things depending on what you have in your refrigerator or pantry.
How to make baked basil chicken meatballs
What you need
- Ground chicken: You could make these with ground beef, turkey, or pork instead.
- Yellow onion: You only need about ¼ cup of minced yellow onion from about 1 small onion.
- Binder: I use egg, Greek yogurt, and Panko. You could also use ricotta cheese in place of Greek yogurt.
- Herbs: I use fresh basil and oregano for a fragrant, herby flavor. You could also use the dry counterparts of these herbs, but I recommend fresh for the best flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: For extra richness, I add finely grated Parmesan cheese.
How to make them
These are as easy as can be!
- Step 1: Combine all of the ingredients, except the Parmesan and panko. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to mix until combined.
- Step 2: Add the panko and Parmesan cheese and mix until combined.
- Step 3: Roll into tablespooon-sized meatballs and arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Step 4: Transfer to a preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs reach 165ºF. Flip them once midway through baking.
You’re ready to serve it up. Transfer the meatballs to a large serving platter and finish with more basil and Parmesan cheese if you like. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¼ cup yellow onion (minced)
- 1 egg
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- ½ cup basil leaves (finely chopped; a few leaves reserved for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon oregano leaves (finely minced; or use 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated; plus more for serving)
- ¾ cup panko
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Add the chicken, minced onion, egg, garlic, basil, and oregano to a large bowl. Add the Greek yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands or a rubber spatula until combined.
- Add the panko and Parmesan cheese and mix until combined. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs. The mixture should yield 15 to 16 meatballs.
Bake the meatballs:
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the meatballs in an even layer. Transfer to the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once midway through cooking. Once the meatballs reach 165ºF, remove them from the oven.
To serve:
- Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves on top.
We didn’t find ground turkey so we made it with ground chicken. Brought a bunch to a 4th of July cook out, people loved it: a bit different! We used leftovers as meatballs with sauce and pasta.